Collision of Destinies: The Story of a Ship, Its Crew, and the Evolution of a Man

Steve Benson is a pugnacious, outgoing, and athletic twenty-six-year-old. After losing his first professional teaching assignment in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he puts his career on hold and hits the road in a rebuilt Volkswagen. The trip takes him to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where he discovers an ad asking for "men with mechanical ability to work on ship" He wins the job and moves on board the 185 foot vessel on a promise he be chosen to accompany the newly remodeled vessel to South America. In this travelogue, the Miami-based renovation process is fraught with conflict and deception during which Steve and ten other crewmen survive the hostile work environment long enough to board passengers bound for the Galapagos Islands; where iguanas spit, whales calve, and seals dance in one of the world's most unique wildlife sanctuaries. It is during this incredible journey that captain Mike of the M/V Buccaneer becomes Steven's father figure, the crew his surrogate family, and Steve moves a giant step closer to becoming a man.

Born November 2, 1950 in St.Paul, Minnesota, Steve Benson earned degrees from the University of Minnesota and Mankato State College. A letter-winning college gymnast, retired carpenter and cabinetmaker, gourmet cook, and world traveler, he now lives in a Miami suburb with his wife, Donnis; their son Shawn; and two wonderful golden retrievers. This is Benson's first book.